Festive Puff Pastry Wreath

This festive looking dish is perfect for any occasion, especially during the Christmas season. It can be served before dinner with your aperitif or after dinner with the cheese board and dessert wine.

Ingredients

*The following ingredients will make two wreaths

2 sheets of store-bought puff pastry

4 tablespoons Chaloner Raspberry Preserve

1 round of brie/camembert cheese (the riper the better)

200 grams pecan nuts, gently chopped

2 eggs, beaten

Before dinner

A handful of thyme

After dinner

Icing sugar

A handful of raspberries

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C. While it is preheating, line a flat baking tray with baking paper (alternatively, if you do not have baking paper, you could use spray and cook, however, the baking paper makes it easier to remove the baked wreath).

Lay out one sheet of puff pastry and using a dinner plate, cut a circle out of it. Discard the left over edges of the pastry. Using a smaller bowl, gently trace a smaller circle (about 10cm in diameter) inside the bigger circle making sure not to cut through the pastry.

Cut the smaller circle into eighths (a star shape) through the pastry so that eight triangles are formed.

Spread the Chaloner raspberry preserve around the outer circle, top with the cheese of your choice and sprinkle with pecans.

Bring one point of the centre “star” over the filling while bringing a piece if the outer circle inwards to meet in the middle. Press the two together. Continue doing this until the wreath is complete.

Egg wash the entire wreath. *Tip: you can also use the beaten egg to help stubborn pieces of pastry to stick together.

Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese has begun to melt.

Remove from the oven. If you are serving it before dinner, sprinkle with thyme and if you are serving it after dinner sprinkle with icing sugar and fresh raspberries.